Reading comics, watching zombies on TV and playing with toys or video games can be fun, but they’re also often solitary pursuits. Being at New York Comic Con is the closest thing a fan of genre culture has to the thrill of attending a football game. It’s like a stadium where you get to crowd in together with an insane throng of like-minded enthusiasts (167,000 of ’em over the weekend, according to last year’s estimates, making this the biggest Comic Con in the world) to dress up and freak out together about the things that you love and know best. Plus, you might see the likes of Stan Lee, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Lucy Liu or Carrie Fisher—all slated to appear this year—at panels or signings.

It’s exciting to be surrounded by people who are as into something as you are, even knowing that not everyone likes the exact same thing that you do. And even if you’re not a huge fan, there is a crazy amount of creativity on display at Comic Con—from the artists, publishers, toymakers, entertainment companies and, not least, the costumed masses. That alone makes it worth seeing. Read on for our guide. —Deacon Worrell

When

October 6–9, 2016

Where

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, with some panels taking place at the Hammerstein Ballroom

Getting there

The closest subway stop to the Javits Center is 34th Street–Hudson Yards, on the 7 train. A number of other subway and bus options stop nearby. For details, visit javitscenter.com.

Anything else I should know?

Like any other big event, New York Comic Con has a lot of rules—many of them for security reasons. For the most part, as long as you use common sense, don’t bring anything dangerous, and respect your fellow fans, you should be fine. But why not visit Comic Con’s full list of rules to make sure?